Thestral Girl
by stripeykitty
Summary: Felicity Evans is a strange child. She's quick and intelligent, friendly and trusting. But something in the air about her is different. The shadows twist and change, unseen eyes watch her and there is something dark in her eyes that makes people afraid... The day she entered the world, it tore the time lines in two. The girl who was never meant to be.
1. New Life

**Ok, I swore I'd never write a fan-fic about Harry Potters secret sister, but just give it a chance, I implore you. Please tell me what you think, I'd appreciate it. I have posted this already to Wattpad, but have decided to post it here as it reaches a broader audience. **

This is not a happy story. It does not have a fairytale ending. This is the story of love, hate, anguish, bravery, fear and above all else, a story of sacrifice. This is the story of how Severus Snape tore history in two unwittingly. This is the tale of Felicity Evans, Harry Potter's younger sister. A sister that was never supposed to be.

Lily Evans never gave up on her best friend. She would always send him owls, even though he would never reply. She often wondered if her ever received them. Many times she begged James to forgive Severus, because she had forgiven him and felt that her husband should, too. When they had their first son, Harry, she was ecstatic, she wanted to tell everyone she knew that was important to her. She sent an owl to Severus, too, worried about his reaction, but there was none. Several months later she got some amazing news, or terrible, depending how you could see it. She was pregnant again. Two months in, in fact. She talked to James about it and begged him that seeing as his best friend was the Godfather of their son, her best friend should be the Godfather of their second. James agreed and told her that seeing as it was so important to her, he would forgive Severus.  
She sent him an owl a few months latter, which he recieved. When he opened it his jaw tightened. It read as such:

_My Dearest Severus,_  
_I have wonderful news! I am pregnant again! Seven months! I have spoken with James and he agrees, you should be the Godfather. We don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet, but we'll find out in a couple on months! We've told very few people, like our parents, Sirius and Remus. _  
_James forgives you, you know. He begs that you can find it in your heart to forgive him for what he has done to you. He is really very sorry._  
_Please send word, Severus, I worry about you._  
_My love, Lily x_

Severus wanted to respond, he really did, but he was still bitter that she was having another child by Potter. He hid the letter with the others, in a box under his bed in the Hogs Head where he was staying.  
A week latter he overheard part of the prophecy and relayed it to Voldemort. A week after that he was on a hill top begging Dumbledore to hide the Potters in Godericks Hollow. He didn't tell Dumbledore Lily was pregnant, he presumed he already knew.  
Now it was two weeks after the Potters had been put into hiding. Severus was sat beside Lucius in front of the glowing fire at Malfoy Manor. Each had a cut glass with a tot of brandy in. A pair of large afghan hounds lounged at their feet. Severus sipped his brandy and secretly sighed to himself.  
"I have not had word from our Lord this evening," he said casualy to Lucious.  
"Did he not tell you?" said Lucius in his smug, matter-of-fact way.  
"I am not sure," snapped Severus back, "it is unlikely he has told you and not me."  
"Our Lord has gone to the Potters, he got their location out of their Secret Keeper," replied Lucius, taking another sip of his brandy.  
Severus's galss slipped from his fingers and shattered into a million shards of light. The dogs jumped up and growled. He caught himself before he betrayed too much emotion, making his face skilfully blank.  
"How long ago did he leave?" he asked in a monotone.  
"Twenty minutes, I believe," said Lucius casually, glancing at the mantelpiece clock, "is it important?"  
Severus stood, brushed his robes down and strolled from the room, fighting his urge to run. When he reached the hallway he turned and apperated away. When he landed in Godericks Hollow he saw the house that had been the Potters, no longer hidden from view. The top corner of the house was blown apart and there were fires lapping from the down stairs living room window. As he ran towards the little house he put out the fire and pushed his way into the house, through the door which was hanging off its hinges. He coughed against the smoke, but continued onwards into the house. When he reached the bottom of the stairs he saw the body of James Potter, laying on the floor, his eyes staring upwards, unseeing. He passed by him and clambered up the stairs which creaked threateningly beneath his foot-fall.  
He reached the landing and walked along it nervously. The sound of an infant crying assaulted his ears. So the Potter boy wasn't dead. Perhaps that meant Lily wasn't, either?  
The door to the nursery at the end of the hall was ajar and the big gold letters that spelt out 'Harry' seemed too jolly in the house filled with death. He held his wand tightly in his hand and pushed the door open, heart in his throat and dread heavy in his heart. There she was. Sprawled out on the floor, as beautiful in death as in life. Her lovely bright green eyes looked to the ceiling unseeing, the light that had been behind them was gone. Her swollen belly stretched her top upwards, making her different to the way he remembered her.  
He knelt by her side, ignoring the sounds of the screaming Harry in his cot. He put one hand on her forehead, pushing back the hair that was spangled there. He put the other hand on her stomach lightly to steady himself. He took one last look into her lovely, yet lifeless eyes, then closed their lids. Beneath his hand on her belly he felt something. A little bumping kick that was very weak. Blood rushed to his ears and he made a snap decision, knowing that it would be what Lily have wanted.  
He pulled back her top to expose her stretched stomach and put his wand tip at the top of her stomach. Carefully, he used a cutting charm and dragged his wand down her belly, cutting open her skin. A little blood trickled from the large wound, but not much, there was no heart to pump it out. Fighting back the tears he felt bubbling in him he reached inside her and cut open her womb. He then reached deeper and pulled the tiny baby out.  
It wasn't breathing.  
Severus didn't know what to do, he wasn't a mid-wife, he wasn't a paramedic. But he did have a distant memory of reading a book many years ago that had something in it that may have been about child birth.  
Holding the baby in one arm he leaped up, grabbing a blanket from Harry's cot and with a flick of his wand it was cleaned of dust. He wrapped the baby in it and cleaned its nose and mouth, then started to rub life into its body. Tears started to fall down his cheeks as he started to feel hopeless. Then, a small squeak.  
His tears stopped and he continued to chafe the baby's body until it cried out. He sighed with relief as the baby cried in the blanket. Quickly he cut the umbilical cord and placed it in the cot beside Harry, who had stopped crying now. Severus turned back to Lily, quickly sealing up her stomach and clearing the blood from her clothes and the floor. He replaced her top and looked down on her. This was the Lily he remembered. Still sweet, even in eternal slumber.  
He picked up the new born and went to the door way. It would only be a matter of time before the Order would start arriving, he had to get out of here and he couldn't leave the tiny baby, very few people knew about it and something might happen to them. He would have to take it with him. He checked the baby beneath the blankets, looking it over to check it was all right, then looked at Lily.  
"It's a girl, Lily, a baby girl. I'll raise her right, I swear to you. She'll want for nothing. I'll protect her and never let her hurt, I'l be there for her," he whispered hoarsely to Lily.  
He heard shouts outside in the distance from Muggles as they woke up. Her rushed across the landing, leaving the bemused baby Harry, knowing that someone would come for him soon enough. He carefully went down the creaking stairs and looked down at James. He knelt down decide him for a moment.  
"I'm sorry, James," he whispered to the man that had been his rival for so long, "I hope I can forgive you one day, like you forgave me."  
He closed James's eyes then stood up, shifting the stirring baby and dissaperating on the spot, just as he heard the roar of a motor bike.

He went to his mothers house, a place he knew that he and the baby would not be found. His mother had recently divorced his father and kicked him out. Now Severus needed her help.  
He named her Felicity, meaning 'happy memories', which suited perfectly.  
As she grew, her hair came through which was pure white and her eyes darkened to a dark green, like a storm at sea. She didn't cry very much and her eyes held something that made Severus think she knew more than most babies. A bond bound between them as she grew, but she always knew he wasn't her father.  
Severus would leave her with his mother during the week and come home at the weekends as often as he could, he had to maintain his job at Hogwarts, he had to provide for Felicity. The first couple of years were hard, Severus went through several enquiries and it made him ache and turned him bitter inside. Dubledore had been very good to him, though, despite the fact that Severus was certain he should be rotting in Azkaban. He knew that was where he was supposed to be, along with all the other Death Eaters. He deserved to die for his betrayal, he knew, but he had to stay alive. He had to keep going, for Felicity. He was her Godfather and nothing would change that.

Felicity showed first magic at the age of one. She had an unusual crying fit for no apparent reason to Severus and his mother. But, then again, they didn't know what had entered the house. All the glass in the house exploded as well as most of the windows in the street.  
Thankfully, for Felicity, the Shade that had entered the house retreated quickly at the sudden surge of power that had filled the house. The Shade had been drawn there by something, a strange source of dark energy, but there were many dark things in the Snape house. One thing in particular.

When Felicity was old enough, she was sent to Muggle school. Severus insisted, she had to learn as much as she could before going to Hogwarts. He wanted to give her the sense of reality and the world other than the Magical one which Lily had, something that had made her who she had been. It also meant that he could spend some weekends at Hogwarts.  
Felicity learnt a lot and very quickly. She soaked everything up, her desire for knowledge making Severus certain she would be a Ravenclaw, or perhaps a Slytherin.  
At the weekends she would read Severus's potion books and started to learn things of the magical world as well.

When she had just turned ten she started to have issues at school. She never really had any friends, people tended to steer clear of her. Her pure white, waist length hair and calculating eyes often scared the other children as well as the strange, cold feeling that sometimes seemed to follow her. Some of the older children had started to pick on her. They locked her in cupboards and called her a freak. But she would never retaliate, never cry. The teachers would find her in the cupboard hours latter when they needed supplies and scolded her for hiding.  
That was, until one day when a boy threw a rock at her. She hadn't seen it coming and it hit her on her forehead. It knocked her on her bum and the boy laughed at her nastily, along with the other children.  
"You shouldn't laugh at me," she said, standing up, looking at the ground.  
"Why's that? Is the tough girl going to cry like a little baby?" jeered the rock-throwing boy.  
She looked up at the boy, her eyes darkening to a flat black. She stared at him, her anger boiling over and he started to scream. He clasped his hands to his ears and screamed in an unholy way.  
"Stop it! Stop it!" yelled some of the other children.  
She closed her eyes and took a breath. The boy stopped screaming and lay on the ground crying. When she opened her eyes again they were their usual dark green. Teachers came running and the blame was placed on her. She was sent home early and told not to come back. She ran to her bedroom and locked herself in with a burst of angry magic and fell onto her bed, crying. Severus couldn't get in, no matter what spells he used. He was secretly proud of her, but mostly he was worried.  
She came out in the morning, finding him asleep by her door, his face pained and his breathing laboured. He was having another nightmare.  
"Ess!" she said, shaking his shoulder, using her pet name for him, "Ess! Ess!"  
He jerked awake and looked around, panicked. Then when he saw her he breathed a sigh of relief and pulled her into his arms.  
"Are you all right? The school phoned and- well. What happened?" he asked her.  
"One of the boys threw a stone at me," she whispered, stroking his soft black hair, "I got angry and- I don't know, he started to scream and- I forced myself to clam down."  
"He threw a stone at you?" Severus demanded, anger in his voice detectable only to her.  
"Yes, but I hurt him worse back, but I didn't mean to," she said.  
He pulled her to arms length and looked her over, then saw the small cut and large bruise that had formed over her right eye. Then he drew her back into his arms and murmured something he thought she couldn't hear, but she did.  
"I'm sorry, Lily, I failed to protect her. It won't happen again."

Felicity wasn't allowed to go back to school after that. She was home tutored by Severus and his mother. They taught her many things and taught her spells, which they encouraged her to try even without a wand. She quickly learnt how to do certain spells without aid of a wand, Severus was extraordinarily proud of her. She was very talented at potions and transfigration as well.  
It was a few weeks until her eleventh birthday, the day she would be taken to Hogwarts. She was sat in front of the fire and Severus was in his chair, marking some essays.  
"Ess?" she said.  
"What is it, Felicity?" he replied, not looking up.  
"Why am I going to start Hogwarts two months after the others?"  
The scratching of his quill stopped for a moment, then he started to write an even more scathing comment on Weasley's essay.  
"Because you're so smart that they couldn't wait to take you next september and they weren't allowed to take you before you turned eleven," he replied.  
He looked up and found her facing him, her serious eyes fixed on him. He knew she knew he was lying. It was strange that such a small child could read him so easily.  
"Ess, what is it you have night mares about?" she asked suddenly.  
He was startled at the change of subject, so told her.  
"I dream of the days when I was a child and when I was a Death Eater."  
She nodded and looked back at the dancing flames. She knew about her Godfather being a Death Eater, but she was unsure as to what that actually meant, other than they had followed a dark wizard and did terrible things, but as the the nature of these things, she never knew.  
"Sometimes you scream," she said softly, watching the pictures in the flames, not seeing the expression on his face.  
There was silence for a moment.  
"You beg, you beg for Lily not to be dead, too. You beg for James to forgive you. You scream to kill you, too. You say you deserve it."  
She turned and looked at him, his face was stony and cold.  
"You don't deserve it, Ess, you don't ever deserve it. Who ever James is, I'm sure he'll forgive you. I love you, Ess, forever and always. Don't ever think you deserve to die."  
He remained silent, fighting back the tears as the little girl stood, hugged him, then walked to the doorway of the living room.  
"I'm going to bed, now, Ess, love you."  
Severus smiled weakly at her and she gave him a dazzling smile in return, then scrambled upstairs.


	2. Diagon Alley

It was the day before Halloween and Severus was taking Felicity to get her Hogwarts things. She was so excited and grinned widely as they collected all the things she would need. Severus hardly talked and walked a certain distance from her to make sure the people in Diagon Alley wouldn't associate them as family, but as teacher and student.  
By the time they got to Olivanders it was mid-day. Felicity's cheeks were flushed from the brusque air as Severus ushered her inside the shop. The bell above the door pinged and a few moments latter a man came through a curtain that led to the back of the shop. He had wispy hair that stood out at odd angles and he wore a dragon skin apron.  
"Professor Snape," said Ollivander, startled, "what can I do for you?"  
"Not for me," said Severus coldly, "the girl. She's late starting Hogwarts, we couldn't contact her before term started. It fell to me to collect the girl."  
Felicity looked up at Severus, she didn't understand why he as lying.  
"All right then, my dear," said Ollivander kindly to Felicity, "come to the desk and we shall start to find your wand."  
Two hours and over a hundred wands latter, Olivander slumped against the counter.  
"This has hardly happened before," he grumbled, "not even a spark!"  
"Do you not have any others?" demanded Severus impatiently.  
"I have some in the vault, but they're, well, they have unusual cores. They're for advanced wizards. They're more expensive, too. Some of the cores take an age to procure."  
"Get them, we have no time to loose. She is going to Hogwarts tomorrow," snapped Snape, "or would you rather we took our business elsewhere?"  
Olivander nodded and hurried to the back of the shop. Felicity looked up wide-eyed at Severus.  
"I'm going to Hogwarts tomorrow? For my birthday?" she whispered.  
"Yes, you are," said Severus, a smile twitching his lips.  
Olivander came back into the room carrying a dark wooden chest. He set it down onto the counter top and waved his own wand over the lock, then opened its lid, pulling out four dark green boxes. He lined them up in a row and then looked to Severus for approval, which he gave in a nod.  
"This one is oak with Veela hair," he said, pointing to the first, "the next is yew with Hippogriff feather. I broke my leg getting that. The third is roan with the ash of a Phoenix. Extraordinarily powerful stuff."  
He gestured that she should try one of the first three, but her eyes fixed on the fourth and final box. She felt a pull to it.  
"What's the last one?" she whispered, eyes wide.  
"Ebony with the mane hair of a wild Thestral," said Olivander reluctantly, "but you should try the others first."  
She sighed and nodded, picking up each in turn. She felt that there was power there, but none would work for her.  
"Why don't you want me to try the last one?" she asked before she did.  
"It was left by my predecessor," whispered Olivander, captivated by Felicity's strange eyes that willed the truth from him, "he was trying to re-create the Elder Wand. But, of course, that is just a children's story."  
Olivander laughed, trying to contain his nervousness.  
"If you're scared of it, why didn't you just destroy it?" Felicity asked quietly, so Severus couldn't hear.  
Olivander's smile faded and he looked frightened.  
"Do you think I haven't tried?" he muttered back.  
Felicity's heart leaped into her throat and she looked down at the last box, it's lid still on and the feeling of power emanating from it. _Go on_, it seemed to be saying, _try me. I dare you._  
She reached out tentatively and opened the in fine white silk lay a dark black wand with crude detailing on the handle. One of the designs on it drew her eye in, a small symbol halfway up its 15 inch length, a triangle with a line through it and a circle inside it. She reached inside the box and the instant her fingers curled around the handle, she felt the shock of power flood through her. She stumbled backwards, golden strands of light exploding from the wand's tip. It slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor, once again inert.  
"How much, Olivander?" demanded Severus, ignoring Felicity's shocked expression.  
"It's a dangerous magical object, I don't think-"  
"_How much_?" growled Severus.  
"A hundred galleons," replied Olivander, deflating.  
"What?! That's four months pay without tax!" snarled Severus.  
"I'm sorry, Professor," said Olivander with a shrug, "but it's an old and dangerous wand. I should have handed it over to the Ministry years ago, if I'm honest. I just couldn't bring myself to do it."  
"Fine, fine," muttered Severus darkly, pulling a purse from his belt.  
He handed the purse to Olivander who nodded to him, Knowing the weight by heart. Felicity picked up the wand carefully and put it back in its box and handed it to Severus. She was too scared to carry it herself.

That night, when Felicity had gone to bed, Severus settled himself beside the fire with a glass of brandy and a Dark Arts journal. He sipped his brandy and thought about Felicity.  
She was a strange girl, he knew, intelligent, quiet... Powerful. She scared the other children which is why she had no friends, which gave him a pang of pain, reminding him of his childhood before he and Lily became friends. But Felicity didn't even have a Lily. Animals were afraid of her, too, dogs would fret and cats would scatter.  
Then there was that feeling that was around her sometimes, a cold, dark feeling. It would come and go, but he had noticed it there recently. The house seemed to have more shadows now, even more than there had been during the Dark Lords rein, which was understandable because Severus had housed some dark objects here. He had moved most of them when he'd brought Felicity home, leaving only the least dangerous and dark that were hidden away none the less.  
After a time he drifted off in the warmth of the fire and the warmth of the brandy. The Dark Arts journal slipped from his fingers and fell open on the page it had a habit of turning to since Felicity had arrived. It was titled 'Dark Magical Anomalies'.

Felicity was woken by Severus the next day, bringing her breakfast in bed. She ate excitedly, then when Severus had cleared away the plates it was time for her present.  
"This gift is very special," he said to her softly, "it's something the Prince family has had for a long time. It was handed down to me by my mother and now I hand it down to you in a different form than when it was given to me. Treasure it always and hand it down to your own children, carrying on the traditions."  
He passed her a small velvet box and she took it carefully, opening it with anticipation building. Inside the box, nestled in red silk, was a pitch black stone set in a silver backing. She took it from the box and held up its chain, expecting light to glint on its edge, but it seemed to suck in the light, almost like a little black hole on a chain. She ran her fingers over its five centimeter width and felt an engraving on its surface. She looked up at Severus.  
"It's perfect!" she said, leaping forwards, wrapping her arms around him.  
Severus's sallow cheeks coloured a little as he held her in his arms.

Felicity quivered with excitement as they apperated in Hogsmeade, her dull black almost grey cloak wrapped around her tightly, her hood up. Severus put a hand between her shoulder blades and carefully guided her to a path, walking along side her purposefully. Felicity watched him out of the corner of her eye. Once again, like in Olivanders, he seemed to have changed from the Ess she knew to someone else, a cold man who betrayed no emotions.  
"Felicity," he said and she turned her full attention to him, "this is important."  
"What is is, Ess?"  
"When we are in the Castle and we are not alone, you must not call me Ess or even Severus. You must call me 'Professor' or 'sir'. No one must know that we know each other."  
"Why?" she asked.  
He was quiet for a few moments, his face stony.  
"There are people who wish ill of me, students mostly, who may see you hurt in order to get to me."  
"If that's what you want me to do, then I will," said Felicity softly, looking back up the path.  
In a few minutes they came around the corner and they were confronted with a pair of wrought iron gates, the pillars either side topped with stone hogs. Severus murmured several things and the gates opened for them, allowing access. Once inside the gates swung closed and chained themselves together, but Felicity didn't notice them. She was too distracted by the magnificent castle before her.  
"It's amazing," she breathed.  
"A beautiful castle for a beautiful queen," said Severus softly, smiling down at her.  
She beamed at him and together they made their way up the grounds.


	3. Hogwarts

Severus led Felicity into the cavernous Entrance Hall, her eyes were wide and looking all about herself in wonderment. He could see that she would want to investigate everything, so he carefully steered her towards the marble stair cases.  
"There will be plenty of time for that latter, Felicity," he said softly, "but Professor Dumbledore is expecting us right now."  
She nodded solemnly, but she remained entranced by the magic of the castle. Severus glanced about them as they made their way upwards, but he had timed this well. It was during the last class of the day and they still had about half an hour before dinner began. That would, surely, be enough time.  
As they approached the gargoyle guarding the spiral stairs, a voice called out after them.  
"Severus! Where have you been today?" said a very severe woman walking towards them, "I have had some questions about the essays from the- Oh, terribly sorry."  
"That's perfectly all right, Minerva. I will be available to go over it later."  
The witch was tall and thin and there was something in the way she moved that made Felicity think of cats.  
"Is this a first year?" the witch asked, raising her eyebrow, "I don't think she would have done anything to warrant a visit to the Headmaster all ready."  
"She has just arrived, Minerva," said Severus coldly, "she could not be contacted before the term began. I am taking her to the Headmaster to be sorted."  
The witch, Minerva, looked slightly taken aback and rather suspicious. Severus put a hand on Felicity's shoulder and whispered the password to the gargoyle, which jumped to the side to allow them entry.  
"I will be available in about two hours. If you will excuse us."  
Severus guided Felicity onto the slowly moving stairs and only relaxed when they were out of view of the corridor bellow.  
"Who was she, Ess?" asked Felicity quietly.  
"That was Professor McGonagal. Head of Gryfindor house."  
Felicity looked up at her godfather, slightly worried. He seemed colder, more out of reach than usual. Like on his bad days, when he had had to deal with a particularly dim-witted class. Felicity took hold of his hand.  
"I'm scared, Ess," she said very quietly.  
Immediately his expression softened and his eyes melted a little.  
"Why are you scared?" He asked softly.  
"What if I'm put into a house that I don't like? What if the others dislike me..."  
"How could anyone dislike you, Felicity? And it doesn't matter what house you go into. All of them are good. Except Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff's a bit rubbish."  
Felicity laughed and Severus smiled at her. They found themselves facing Dumbledore's door and Severus knocked.  
"Come in," called an elderly voice.  
Severus dropped Felicity's hand and pushed the door open. Together they moved into the circular office, the walls lined with portraits of men and women dozing in their frames. Spindly legged tables with fanciful machines resting on them puffed coloured smoke into the air. Felicity's eyes were wide as saucers and she longed to touch everything. With a startled cry, a large, swan like red bird rose into the air, a Phoenix, and flew out the window.  
Severus watched the Phoenix go, confused. He had never seen the bird act that way before. Out of the corner of his eye the shadows shifted and changed.  
Dumbledore stood behind his desk and smiled down at Felicity, who smiled nervously in return.  
"So you are miss Felicity Evans," he said quietly.  
She nodded, her voice seeming to abandon her in the presence of the powerful wizard before her.  
"If I am rightly informed, you need to be sorted, correct?" He moved around thee desk and went to a shelf on the right hand side of the room, lifting down a ragged old pointed hat.  
She watched him nervously as he stepped forwards and gestured for her to sit down in the high backed chair before his desk. She perched on the very edge of it, looking back nervously at Severus, who nodded and smiled ever so slightly at her. She looked up at Dumbledore, who smiled warmly at her.  
"Are you ready. Miss Evans?" he asked her.  
"Yes, sir," she said very quietly.  
Dumbledore lowered the hat onto her head and it fell over her eyes immediately. She jumped as she heard a little voice in her ear, whispering to her.  
"Well now, this is certainly something..." said the voice, "Felicity Evans, this is a surprise... But my job is to sort you, not discuss with you."  
"Who- what-"  
"I am the sorting hat," whispered the voice, "do not worry so, young lady. You are so frightened of where you belong... But I cannot see where..."  
The sorting hat fell silent and her heart pounded in her ears in its stead. Time seemed to drag on and on, the hat being silent in its contemplation. Tears stung her eyes, her worst fears realized, she didn't belong here. Just as she was getting ready to rip the hat from her head and run crying, it spoke to her once again.  
"There is a hint of darkness in you, child... Yet you are full of bravery and goodness... You are proud and want to prove yourself... You are extraordinarily intelligent... You are kind and loyal... You belong everywhere, but no where... So where to put you?"  
Frustrated, Felicity sighed.  
"Put me somewhere, anywhere. Please, I just want to belong. I want to have friends for once," she whispered back to it.  
"Very well... It will have to be... RAVENCLAW!"  
The hat was lifted from her head and Dumbledore's smiling face came into view, along with Severus's beaming one.  
Felicity stood, wiping the remnants of the tears from her eyes and smiled up at her godfather.  
"I just knew it," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder, "I just knew!"  
"Yes, you only knew just now!" she laughed.  
He chuckled softly and looked at Dumbledore, who's eyes were twinkling.  
"I am certain she will be a credit to the house," he said quietly.

Hours latter, when Felicity had been settled in her new dormitory, Severus sat with Dumbledore.  
"It took a while to sort her, didn't it?" said Severus softly.  
Dumbledore nodded slowly.  
"There is something about her," said Dumbledore quietly, "she seems a pleasant girl, but there is something not quite right..."  
In the corner of the room, the shadows shifted.


	4. First Day

Felicity awoke early, before her room mates who had introduced themselves to her the night before. There were three other girls in her with her, including a girl called Luna, who had been particularly nice to her despite her being new. She hurried down to breakfast, her school bag laden with books and inks, her heart filled with joy. She was finally here, at Hogwarts.

She found her way easily, her sharp memory guiding her the short distance to the Great Hall, where only a few people where sitting, eating sleepily. She glanced up at the teachers table, but only a couple of teachers she didn't recognize were sat there. Feeling slightly down heartened by the fact that Severus wasn't there, she went to the table with the large eagle banner hanging above it.  
Half way through her breakfast, a tiny man approached her, whose height was made up for by his amounts of frizzy white hair. She smiled a little and he returned it.  
"You are Felicity Evans?" he asked in a squeaky voice.  
She nodded nervously.  
"I am very glad that you are in my house! I am your Head of House, Professor Flitwick. Here is your time table for you," he handed her a piece of parchment with a map on its reverse, "and if you have any problems, do not hesitate to approach me."  
"Thank you very much, sir," she said quietly, smiling widely at him.  
He smiled back somewhat nervously and made his way back to the teachers table.  
Felicity looked over her time table, noting that today her first class was double transfiguration, followed by charms and potions. She grinned at the prospect of potions as she would get to see Ess again.  
She quickly gulped down the last few mouthfuls of porridge and stood up, swinging her bag over her shoulder and started to head for the Transfiguration room. She followed the map carefully, moving up the stairs, skipping the false steps without even thinking.  
Out of the corner of her eye, on the second floor, she saw something move. Turning her head, she saw a dusty looking skeletal patterned tabby cat. The cat glared at her with yellow eyes that seemed accusing.  
"Hello kitty," she said softly, bending over and rubbing her fingers towards the cat.  
The cat glared for a moment longer, then stood up, tail in the air and walked towards her, sniffing her hand before allowing her to stroke its head.  
"You are very pretty," she told it, scratching behind its ears, "I wish I had a cat. But most cats are afraid of me. I wonder why you aren't?"  
The cat meowed and began to purr, butting its head against her legs. She glanced at her watch and gasped.  
"Sorry cat! I have to run, or I will be late!"  
The cat gave her a slightly reproachful look as she darted away, climbing up another set of steps and running down a corridor until she arrived, panting, at the back of a cue waiting to go into the classroom. Several people turned to look at her and a couple of girls turned away giggling, talking in whispers and shooting her funny little looks. Felicity's already pink face flushed to red in embarrassment and she flattened her slightly windswept hair.  
"That's enough, hurry inside now," said a brusque voice.  
Felicity turned and saw the woman from the previous night striding along, adjusting her hat pins as she walked. The first years filed into the class room and sat down in their seats; Felicity was glad she was at the back as everyone seemed to have already picked seats. She would hate to take someone elses seat and have to face confrontation with another student.  
She went and sat in the seat furthest from the door at the front of the room, which seemed to be the best spot to choose out of the two available. It was that or sit near the group of snickering girls.  
"Today, class, we will be revisiting your transfiguration work, seeing as none of you have yet managed to transfigure your beetles into buttons. You, Fredericks, hand out these beetles," commanded Professor McGonagall.  
She pushed a box towards a boy in the front row who eyed it nervously before standing up and handing out beetles to each of the class. Felicity thanked him and looked down at her beetle which tried to scuttle away. She glanced at her wand which she still had in its box, open on her desk top. Vaguely she heard the Professor getting the class to repeat the incantation they would use as she stared at it. It felt like it was daring her to touch it, challenging her. The dark polished wood reflected the light oddly and she felt a lump in her throat.  
All around her the class began to say the incantation, flicking their wands about, their faces screwed up in concentration. She was greatly relieved when McGonagall bent low to talk to her.  
"You are Miss Evans, correct?" she said in a low voice.  
Felicity nodded.  
"I have been informed of the situation by Professor Snape. It is all right to be nervous, you have missed quite a lot. Well, in this class, we are actually somewhat behind. I'm certain you will catch up quickly," she cast a tired look about the classroom, sighing as one of the boys hit his neighbor accidentally with a particularly exaggerated flourish of his wand. "I really can't believe this group. Try the incantation. Don't worry if you don't get it first time."  
The Professor straightened up and turned to the boys that were now shouting at each other, the one that had been struck was growing a rather impressive mushroom from his forehead. Felicity swallowed a smile and looked at her wand and at the scurrying beetle, which was making a run for it. She reached out and put her left hand over it to hold it in place as she took up her wand in her shaking right hand.  
Instantly she felt the buzz of power in her hand and felt the rush of excitement from the wand. It wanted to be used. She looked to the board where the incantation was written and lifted her hand, swishing her wand in a neat little movement towards the beetle.  
"_Tenere Verto_," she said clearly and somewhat forcefully.  
The beetle froze for a moment, then its body twitched and shifted into a black, shinny button with four holes. Felicity looked at it in amazement, then put her hand in the air, looking towards Professor McGonagall, who was telling the now de-fungused boy to sit down and was telling the boy that had hit him off. After a moment she turned towards Felicity, the anger draining from her face.  
"Need some help, Miss Evans?" she asked.  
Felicity shook her head.  
"No Professor, I just wanted to ask what I should do now," she responded, gesturing to the neat little button on her desk.  
Astonished, the Professor picked up the button and inspected it.  
"Well, I suppose you could do another. And would you be able to do it with me watching, this time, please."  
Felicity nodded as Mc Gonagall got a new beetle for her and placed it before her. With a nervous look at the Professor, Felicity flicked her wand and spoke the incantation clearly. The beetle seemed to transform quicker than the last had. A look of shock passed quickly over the Professors face, but Felicity saw it in that brief moment.  
"Well done, Miss Evans. Ten points to Ravenclaw."  
Felicity beamed with pride.

As Felicity sat down for lunch, she was tapped on the shoulder by one of the girls in her dormitory, Luna Lovegood.  
"Can I sit next to you?" she asked dreamily.  
Felicity smiled and nodded.  
"I was very impressed with your buttons," said Luna, once she had settled herself down.  
"Thank you," said Felicity, smiling widely.  
As they ate lunch and chatted vaguely, Felicity stole a few glances up at the staff table, where McGonagall and Severus seemed to be in deep discussion. She felt slightly worried, but dismissed the feeling.  
After lunch the two girls made their way to charms as Luna told Felicity extensively about Crumple Horned Snorkacks. Felicity wasn't certain they existed, but politely nodded and smiled. They joined the cue to the classroom with the other Ravenclaws and the Gryfindors that would be sharing their lesson.  
Felicity was glad to find that there was a free seat beside Luna and took it without hesitation. Once the class had begun, Professor Flitwick sought her out as McGonagall had done. The conversation was much the same.  
By the end of the class, Felicity had managed to levitate the table with ease and left smiling, having earned a further ten points for Ravenclaw. With excitement building in her, she and Luna headed down to the dungeons, their footsteps echoing the further down they went.  
At the bottom of the stairs they met with the rest of the group, the Ravenclaws she was beginning to recognize and a new group, a group of Slytherins. They looked at her as she came nearer, some of them sneering and others laughing.  
Felicity looked away from them and instead back to Luna, who was watching her curiously.  
"You know, your eyes darkened just then," she said conversationally.  
"Did they?" responded Felicity vaguely, her mind still on why the Slytherins were being so rude.  
The door to the classroom swung open and the voice of Severus spoke from inside.  
"Get in. No talking."  
Excitement building in her chest, Felicity filed in and sat in the seat beside Luna, who seemed to also be given a wide birth by the rest of the class. They were sat right at the back, out of the way, but that didn't stop the rest of the class turning around to stare at her, but nothing could quench her excitement.  
"Eyes front," said Severus, standing behind his desk, glaring about the room.  
Felicity frowned a little, the coldness in Severus's voice momentarily surprising her. He began to speak to the class about the task for the day and she felt relieved, she had brewed this particular potion many a time. Without looking at the board, she got out the correct ingredients for the Minor Healing Draft once Severus had finished talking. She stoked the fire beneath her cauldron and began to cut her shrivel fig.  
Out the corner of her eye, she watched Severus move around the classroom, peering into cauldrons, often sneering at the contents, less at the Slytherins than the Ravenclaws. Felicity felt confident as she stirred her potion, the silky sheen of the bright red potion shone in the dank corner of the dungeon. Severus seemed to be avoiding approaching the two girls, but eventually he couldn't avoid it any longer and Felicity smiled a little up at him as he approached. She could see the class turning to look with an air of smugness.  
He looked into Luna's cauldron first and frowned. Though her potion was also red, it was a shade darker an didn't have the same sheen.  
"Passable," he muttered, "five points to Ravenclaw."  
Then he finally turned to Felicity's, avoiding her eye he looked down into the cauldron and the ghost of a smile passed across his lips that none but Felicity would have recognized.  
"Well done," he said, straightening up, "ten points to Ravenclaw. All of you, but these two, will write me a foot long essay on the correct brewing of the Minor Healing Draft by Wednesday. Now pack up, clean up and get out."  
While there was a bustling around the room, Severus bent low over Felicity's cauldron and smiled faintly at her.  
"I doubt Madam Pomfrey could have brewed it better," he murmured to her.  
She beamed up at him and he turned away, stalking back to the front of the classroom. She packed away, smiling widely all the while. Once they had cleaned away, she and Luna made their way to the Great Hall for dinner, talking happily.  
"Professor Snape likes you," Luna said after a little while.  
Felicity turned a little pink, looking away.  
"Does he?" she said, trying to sound casual.  
Luna nodded and they both sat down to eat.


	5. Antlers

Felicity sat on the windowsill of the dark corridor. She knew that she was supposed to be downstairs for dinner, but she couldn't face it. She had only been here a week and already she was experiencing the same thing she had at the Muggle schools. She rested her shoulder against the cool window pane, looking down into the twilit grounds. She wiped her hot cheeks of the tears that had fallen so easily before.  
She leaned forwards and the tips of the antlers clacked against the glass, making her sob again. She hadn't wanted this.  
It had started on the Wednesday and spiraled downwards from there. A gang of Slytherin boys, much older than her, had found her in between one of her classes and pushed her behind a tapestry, into an abandoned corridor.  
"We heard that you were sucking up to the teachers, even Snape," the ugliest brute had said.  
"Being good at something isn't the same as sucking up," she had retorted.  
Then they had all drawn their wands on her and she had pushed past them quickly, back into the crowded corridor, before they could attack. But from there onward, they had dogged her between classes, at meal times and loitered around entrance hall, waiting for her to come near.  
She had only managed to avoid them so far by always walking and speaking with teachers, enjoying their company and their advice to her. They had been ever so kind to her, giving her more challenging work than the other first years, encouraging her to do harder spells. The only teacher she seemed unable to get along with was Lockheart. But that didn't matter, because as long as she was with one of them, she was safe.  
But then Saturday had arrived and they were ready and waiting for her.  
She had expected something, but not for them to be waiting at the base of Ravenclaw tower, for goodness sake! She had come down, her mind on transfiguration, and they had attacked her. She managed to dodge away from the worst of them, but one of the spells hit her, but despite the pain she had felt on the top of her head, she had run as fast as she could. Spells had shot over her head, but none managed to hit her. Within moments she had been away from them and found a deserted corridor, where she had spent the rest of her day, hiding and crying in pain as the antlers had grown to their full size, making her head heavy.  
And now that the tears had stopped and she had had time to think, her sadness and fear had become a kind of refined defiance in her chest. She would not let them defeat her. But still, the embarrassment kept her hidden here in the corridor, her stomach growling in protest.  
She became aware of a couple of people approaching, their hurried footsteps ringing in the deserted corridor. For a moment, Felicity felt a burning anger in her, thinking that it was the Slytherin boys returning. She hopped down from her windowsill and stood, glaring towards the way the footsteps were coming. Two identical red haired boys were walking swiftly her way. She felt the anger lifting and instead the embarrassment returned, colour flushing her cheeks. The two boys stared at her as they came closer, their footsteps slowing and their whispered discussion came to an end.  
"What do we have here?" said one.  
"A first year that's been hit with a hex," said the other, grinning widely.  
"Yes, go ahead," snarled Felicity, tears coming to her eyes again, "laugh it up! Go on! I dare you! You're no better than those awful Slytherins that did this to me!"  
Both boys looked taken aback and slightly frightened.  
"We didn't mean it like that," said the first.  
"Look, come with us, we'll sort you out," said the second.  
"How can I trust you?" she snapped.  
They both shrugged in unison.  
"Either way, we have to get moving. Filch will be after us any second-"  
There was a scream and a crash in the distance.  
"-now..."  
Both looked at each other, grinning, then looked down at Felicity.  
"Running with us?" said one.  
Felicity considered it for a brief moment, then nodded. At least they might be telling the truth and anyway, she had a good feeling about the two of them. Each of them grabbed one of her hands and began to run, pulling her along with them, her feet barely keeping up with the two older boys.  
After many corridors they ducked into an empty classroom, trying to catch their breath while leaning against the door.  
"Right then," panted one of them.  
"Let's get rid of those antlers for you," said the other.  
"Should be simple," said the first.  
Both of them nodded and pointed their wands at Felicity and for a terrible moment, she was certain they were going to curse her.  
"_Finite Incantatem!_" they said in unison.  
For a moment, nothing happened, then the weight lifted from her head and she stumbled, feeling the top of her head where the antlers had been moments before. She smiled widely at the two boys.  
"Thank you so much!" she said, beaming.  
The two boys smiled back at her.  
"Oh, my name's Felicity, sorry I was so rude before..." she trailed off, turning a little pink, embarrassed at the bad impression she must have given them, hoping they wouldn't dislike her like most of the other students.  
"No problem. I'm George, this is Fred," said one of the boys.  
"In other words, I am Fred and he is George," said the other.  
Felicity smiled again, then frowned a little.  
"Why were you running?" she asked.  
The twins looked at each other, grinning.  
"Oh, we were just... Having a little fun..." said Fred.  
"You know, just making a small mess..." said George.  
"Right..." said Felicity slowly.  
For a moment she weighed up the dangers of telling the two boys, but they had been kind to her and helped her, so she at least owed them an explanation.  
"Some Slytherins have been stalking me all week," she said quietly, "they were waiting for me at the bottom of Ravencalw tower this morning. I managed to dodge most of their hexes, but one of them got me. They were angry because I am doing so well and Sev- Professor Snape likes me more than most of the Slytherins in my Potions class."  
The boys looked at each other, then down at her again.  
"Do you not know and defensive spells?" asked George.  
Felicity shook her head, looking embarrassed. Severus had let her read the Dark Arts books, but although it had a lot on the theory of defensive spells, she hadn't been able to practice any in her short time at Hogwarts.


	6. Deflection

When Felicity woke up on the Sunday morning, she was filled with hope for the new day. She rose and dressed swiftly, though she knew it was still early and the light was barely entering the room.

As she had talked to the twins yesterday night, she had heard a lot of news from about the castle that she had not been told. She found out that on her birthday, of all days, there had been an attack in the castle. The details were a bit tenuous, but from what she understood, someone had written on the wall in blood about the Chamber of Secrets. When she'd asked the two boys about it they had told her that it was supposed to be some kind of dungeon with a monster in it, left in the castle by Salazar Slytherin. This all sounded rather silly to Felicity.

She had also heard about a boy called Harry Potter, and how he had gotten hurt yesterday morning in a Quiditch Match, not that she would have known because she had been hiding all day.

Thoughtfully, Felicity picked up her wand from her bedside table from inside the box she placed it every night. She was no longer afraid of the surge of power it gave her each time she picked it up. It was starting to become more friendly feeling in her hand, as though it was getting used to her, too. Some days she could swear it was warm to her touch, even if it had been left on a table in a cold room.

Felicity tip-toed to the door, trying not to wake her dormitory mates and slipped out into the stair case. Once the door was closed, the shadows swirled in the corners and slid across the floor, trying to keep up with the girl, not daring to lose her trail.

Felicity crossed the common room quickly, wand grasped in her palm which was now slightly sweaty. Her heart pounded with excitement as she left the relative safety of the tower and moved quickly and virtually silently down the stair case. As she got towards the bottom, she slowed and peered around the corner, listening hard. There appeared to be no one about just yet. Smiling grimly to herself at her correct observation, she slipped into the corridor and made her way down to the Great Hall, keeping her wand at her side, just in case.

Behind her, the shadows grew.

She entered the Great Hall, noting that it was barely occupied. Vaguely she wondered why, but assumed that it must have been the time that it was. She settled herself at the Ravenclaw table and poured herself a goblet of pumpkin juice. As the morning began to pass, she relaxed more, remaining in the Great Hall for as long as she could stand. She watched as people came and went, smiling to herself as she noted that the Slytherins that had attacked her still hadn't come for their breakfast, which served to make her even more certain of her observations. By mid-morning, she felt that she had spent enough time in the Hall and stood, stretching, then calmly walked to the library, all the while keeping her wand close, remembering what the books she had studied had taught her.

_...Never let your guard down... Your enemy could be just around the corner..._

She sat in the library most of the day, studying Transfiguration, mostly, but spending a little time on defensive spells. She wrote an essay for Charms and looked up Cheering Charms, which she had always joked with Ess that he needed one.

The librarian, Madam Pince, had watched her suspiciously for most of the time, but Felicity didn't mind, she was too busy with her work to pay all that much attention to the librarian. When the evening came, Felicity stood, stretched, replaced the books carefully onto their shelves and headed down to dinner.

As she entered the Great Hall, she noted something was different. There was a low level of anxious chatter throughout the hall, apart from the Slytherin table, which seemed strangely happy. Felicity went and found a place beside Luna and dished herself up some Shepard's pie.

"What's going on?" she asked between mouthfuls.

Luna turned her wide eyes to her, looking worried.

"Didn't you hear?" she whispered.

Felicity shook her head. "I was in the library all day"

"There was an attack last night, a first year was Petrified," Luna whispered.

Felicity choked on her mouthful, swallowing it and coughing a little.

"What?" she gasped.

"No one knows what's going to happen, Terry Boot says they are going to close the school!"

Felicity looked up towards the staff table, where Severus was sat. He caught her eye and she guessed he had been looking at her before she looked at him. She tried to smile, but his frown deepened and he looked away. Worried, Felicity turned back to her dinner.

Half way through her eating, she was glad to see a small troupe of Slytherin boys slope into the Hall, looking disheveled and moody. Felicity grinned to herself, taking her time in finishing, then she stood.

"I'll see you back in the dormitory, okay?" she said to Luna.

Luna looked worried, but nodded. Felicity knew she was worried about her going out on her own. But Felicity would have to face the boys at some point.

Purposefully, she walked slower than she normally would have, ensuring that the boys saw her. She looked over at the Slytherin table from the corner of her eye and was pleased to see the boys nudge each other, then stand to follow. Smiling grimly, she sped up a little. She was going to make them work for this. Her fingers tightened around her wand, which felt reassuring in her hand. For a moment she could swear there was a small surge of power from it, as though it was encouraging her.

Behind her, she could hear the quick footsteps of the boys and so she sped up again, taking the next corner on the left and ducking into the alcove that housed a statue of a hare, melting into the waiting shadows. She watched as the boys walked right past her, looking around, confused.

"Where did the little mudblood go?" hissed one of them.

"She couldn't have gone far."

They moved up the corridor and she stepped out, wand clenched tightly.

"Looking for me, you pathetic excuses for Purebloods?" She jeered.

They turned and fired spells at her with barely a seconds hesitation, but she was ready. Her wand whipped through the air, making their spells rebound about the corridor so that they had to duck away from getting hit.

"Is that all you've got?" she laughed, "I expected more, I really did."

A terrible glee filled her and she felt something twist in her stomach, like a serpent awakening. The hairs on her arms stood on end and she felt her hair fan out with static energy.

"Face me," she said.

But it didn't sound like her. Something else was in her voice, something laced it with a darkness, a terrible commanding power. The boys stared at her in open mouthed horror, then turned tail and ran from her as fast as they could. Felicity laughed as they fled, but it steadily turned to tears as the electricity in her faded and what was left was a terrible aching through her whole body.

She fell to the floor, where she curled up tightly and sobbed for the second time in two days.

Severus watched as Felicity stood and said something to the Lovegood girl. He was barely paying attention to what Flitwick was babbling on about as he stared after her. He was worried for her safety, especially with what had happened the night before. There was something dark going on in the castle and he didn't like it, not one jot.

He watched her stand and leave the hall and saw the group of Slytherin boys stand to follow her. With a jolt, he recognized a situation that he had been forced to endure at school and stood up, making Flitwick jump.

"Severus?" the little Charms teacher quavered, "Is everything-"

"Fine. Fine. I just remembered I have to..." he trailed off, his features twisting into a scowl.

"All right, Severus," Flitwick squeaked as Severus made his way along the back of the staff table.

He was aware that the headmaster was watching him, but he ignored the concerned look and continued on his mission. He was terrified that he would get there too late as he had to get around the long staff table and then down the Hall, then to find Felicity who he just _knew_ was in danger.

Once he was in the Entrance Hall, he looked about, but couldn't see her. Then he saw flashes of light and heard voices shouting spells down a nearby corridor, which he ran towards.

By the time he got there, the Slytherin boys had fled and Felicity was curled up on the floor, crying. His heart aching, he knelt beside her and touched her shoulder gently.

"Felicity?" he asked, his voice constricted.

Felicity uncurled and put her arms around Severus, sobbing into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair reassuringly, though his eyes hardened and his mouth was set.

"You're safe now," he whispered, internally swearing to get those boys for what they had done.


	7. Christmas

In the run up to Christmas, despite the air of uncertainty and panic that was hanging over the heads of the inhabitants of Hogwarts, Felicity felt hopeful.

She had been granted near immunity to all Slytherin attacks after Severus had given the boys that attacked her detentions until the end of term. She received a lot of nasty looks and muttered taunts as she went past, but that was better than having to defend herself and risk what had happened last time.

She was still struggling with what had happened and her body felt cold each time she recalled the feeling, always fresh in her mind as though it had just happened.

To her surprise, she'd found that the two boys, Fred and George, still wanted to spend time with her. For the first time in her life, she had friends. They were exciting to be around, they made her laugh and she felt full of joy when they were together. After they had taught her more of the spells they knew, she started to teach them the spells she was finding in her hours in the library.

While she was in the library, she would often see a Gryfindor girl with bushy brown hair who was always studying. She had occasionally considered trying to strike up a conversation, but she was intimidated by the determined look on the girls face.

Severus had seemed very distant of late, more so than he was at the beginning of term. After he had calmed her and escorted her back to the Ravenclaw Common Room, she had barely seen him and he hardly looked at her during potions. She was worried that she had somehow upset him or that she had embarrassed him somehow.

Severus reclined in his favorite staff room chair, the leather creaking bellow him. He held the essay up, scanning through it, tapping the feathered tip of his quill against his chin. The Granger girl was certainly intelligent, he had to give her that, but he would rather stick a fork in his eye than admit it to anyone. He had hoped that by pushing her down that the rest of the class might stand a chance. Occasionally he worried that he had really hurt her and the look that she gave him sometimes reminded him of the look Felicity gave him.

He shook is head and wrote a small comment at the bottom, there was hardly anything to criticize. He put it to the side and picked up Longbottom's. Now here was an essay he was going to enjoy...

The staff room door swung open and Mc Gonagall entered, a stack of essays of her own hovering in front of her. She settled herself in the chair opposite Severus and set the papers beside her. He nodded to her and she nodded back. This was a common situation for a Monday mid-morning free period.

Severus was contentedly crossing out incorrect grammar when Minerva cleared her throat.

"I'm hearing some interesting tales, Severus," she said.

"Are you?" he said, crossing out yet another miss placed comma.

"Indeed. With all this 'Chamber of Secrets' nonsense that is spreading through the student body, you would think they didn't have time for any other rumours."

Severus carefully put the essay to the side, setting his quill beside it, then looked up at her, his eyes cold and hard.

"I didn't think you were one to listen to rumors, Minerva," he said quietly.

"Usually I wouldn't be, but these had me questioning... I have heard some of the Slytherins complaining that you had given a selection of the boys, particularly nasty ones that pray on the younger years, detention until the end of term. Though I don't disagree that those boys need punishment and that you finally see it too, the reason seems to be a bit... uncertain?"

Severus continued to stare at her and after a moment, realizing he wasn't going to contribute, she continued.

"It has been suggested that it is because of a girl you have a soft spot for that they may have attacked. Though they say she attacked them, but I highly doubt it."

Severus continued to stare unblinkingly at Minerva and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"The girl," he said very quietly, so she had to lean in to listen, "is very special to me. Not in the way that the rumors would have you believe. She is my adopted child. She needed a family and I provided one."

"Severus, I had no idea, this is-"

"I would appreciate it if this information is not shared, Minerva. I would not want her to be the target of any more foul behaviour, from any house. I dare say there are a few students that would target her due to grades they feel undeserving."

"Who is this girl?" she asked quietly.

Severus's lips twisted into a semblance of a smile.

"Felicity Evans, of course. The most brilliant witch of her age group and I suspect some of the age groups above her."

"Evans... as in-?"

"No," he sneered, "of course not. There are many people with the last name Evans, Minerva. Don't leap to conclusions. You are just as bad as the students. Now, if you will excuse me, I have marking to do."

A week or so later, Felicity started to see posters popping up all around school, advertising a dueling club. She didn't pay all that much attention until Fred and George found her at lunch, grasping one of the leaflets.

"Hey! Felicity!" called George.

Felicity smiled as they approached.

"Look at this!" said Fred, pushing the leaflet into her hands.

"I saw. I'm not really interested," she said, handing the leaflet back.

"But it's Lockheart that's running it," grinned Fred.

"It's worth going just to see him make a tit of himself," grinned George.

Felicity shrugged.

"As tempting as that sounds, Mc Gonagall gave me an OWL level paper to complete and I have to admit, it's quite tricky."

"OWL level?" they said together, eyes wide.

"Yes," she said, her turn to grin, "she thinks that I can manage it. Her attitude has changed somewhat in the last week..."

The twins shrugged and looked at each other briefly, then down at Felicity.

"We've been hearing some funny rumors," said Fred.

"About you and Snape," supplied George.

"What kind of rumours?" she asked, trying to make her face blank, like Ess sometimes did.

"That you and him are, like, a uhh, item..."

Both twins went bright red and Felicity, unable to keep a blank face, grimaced.

"Good grief," she said, "that's disgusting. He's three times my age. Just because I'm good at Potions people think I'm doing things with him? I'm eleven, for goodness sake! That's illegal! That's twisted."

The twins looked relieved.

"Come on, you rumour tarts, lets go somewhere quieter," she said, rolling her eyes.

As they went to find an empty classroom, relief filled her. If it was just unbelievable rumours like that circulating, then she could deal with it. Just so long as people didn't find out about the truth. She felt a little twinge of uncertainty, wondering if these rumours were affecting Ess. She didn't want him to loose his job because of some silly rumour.

Felicity opted to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. After the attacks on Colin Creevy, Justin Fitch-Fletchy and Nearly Headless Nick, hardly anyone was staying for Christmas, which suited her just fine. Aside from that, Eileen, Severus's mother, was going away on a research trip to Egypt and Severus was going to be staying here, so there was no point in Felicity returning home.

When Christmas Day arrived, she was the only one in the dormitory. She woke up and found a small pile of gifts at the end of her bed. Grinning widely, she crawled to the end of her bed and picked up the first one, which was from Fred and George. It was badly wrapped in brown paper, but she didn't mind that. She tore off the paper and a variety of Zonko products fell out onto the covers. She smiled, knowing that the twins were getting something very similar from her.

Then there was another package, wrapped in paper with jolly hippogriffs on and a little note on top.

She opened the note first.

_Felicity, the boys have told me so much about you and it is my fondest hope that you might set them straight. They told me you didn't have a mother or father, so I was worried you might not get enough presents this year. I hope this isn't too forward! We would all love to meet you one day. Molly Weasley._

Felicity flushed with colour. She hadn't realized the twins would tell their mother about her. She also hadn't thought much of the off hand comment she had made one night about having no parents. It wasn't an uncommon thing, after the war against the Dark Lord.

She carefully removed the spellotape, trying to keep the wrapping paper whole, and opened the package. Inside was a navy blue knitted jumper. It was plain and a bit lumpy, but she knew Molly had knitted it herself and that meant more than she could ever express. There were also a couple of mince pies, which she put on the bed side cabinet for later.

She moved on to the other gifts, all wrapped neatly in black paper which se recognized as Ess's style. She found she had a large box of Honeydukes sweets, several Dark Arts and Potions books and journals, most of which must have been at least a hundred years old and some new blue and black ribbons for her hair. Smiling widely, she got dressed in the blue jumper and tied her hair up with the ribbons. She taped the hippogriff wrapping paper to her wall and spent a moment admiring it, then turned to leave.

Just as she reached the door, she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. She turned quickly and the shadows retreated from the package they had been reaching out to. Confused, she moved back to the end of the bed. How didn't she see this last present? It was small and wrapped in silver paper. She bent down and scooped it up, examining it curiously, wondering who this could be from.

She carefully pulled the spellotape away and unfolded the paper. Inside, there was a little silver cat with ruby eyes in a sitting position. Confused, she looked at the little gift tag about its neck.

_Felicity- Well done for all your hard work. Though I don't get my students presents often, I felt you have earned this. Keep up the good work. Mc Gonagall._

Felicity went red again, pleased but slightly embarrassed. It was really very nice of Mc Gonagall to give her something for Christmas. She placed the little cat on her bedside table, next to the mince pies. She admired it for a moment, then left the dormitory, her present for Ess under her arm.

She went down to the dungeons, bypassing breakfast and heading directly to Severus's quarters. Excitement bubbled in her stomach as she knocked on the door and waited. Moments later the dark wooden door swung open and Severus looked down at her.

"Can I come in?" she asked nervously.

Severus stood to the side and allowed her to enter, closing the door quickly behind her, hopping that no one had seen her come down here. Once the door was closed Felicity dropped the present on a side table and hugged Severus around the middle, smiling as the familiar, comforting smell of various potions and mustiness from his clothes filled her nose. He stroked her hair gently, allowing himself a small smile and his icy eyes began to thaw.

"Did you like what I got you?" he asked.

She nodded and let him go.

"Those books are amazing!" she gushed, "I have no idea where you could have got them from! I had a quick flick through, and there's things in there that I never could have dreamed of!"

"And you must like the hair ribbons, as you are wearing them," he said, flicking the tip of her ponytail "but I don't recall the jumper...?"

"It was a gift from Molly Weasley," she said, the pink tinge returning to her cheeks.

"And why would she give you a gift?" he asked, his dark eyes becoming hard again.

"Because... I made friends with the Weasley twins... and they told her my parents are dead... and she thought that I wouldn't have many presents..." she looked at her shoes, unsure how he would react.

Severus was quiet for a few moments. He was conflicted. On one hand, it was great that Felicity was finally making friends, but on the other, the twins were trouble. But they were mischievous trouble, so not nasty, not like Potter had been... But he was not to think of that.

And damn Molly for her interfering! He was certain that if she ever met the girl, the whole thing would unravel. But he would have to deal with that when it came. If it ever did.

"It's good that you are making friends," he said carefully, "just don't let them lure you into any of their wrong doing, alright?"

"Yes Ess," she mumbled.

"Now, let's not let that ruin the day, yes?" he said, his eyes becoming warm, as they did when he was with Felicity.

She because more animated once again, smiling and grabbing the present she had brought for him, handing it over. It was neatly wrapped in shiny green and red paper. He unwrapped it carefully, revealing a walnut wood box. He lifted the catch and inside was a ring. It was silver with a smooth, bright green stone set into it.

"Do you like it?" she asked nervously, "I made it myself."

"You did,?" he responded, his eyes prickling.

She nodded. "I found a book about it in the library..."

He hugged her tightly, sliding the ring onto his right index finger.

"It's wonderful, Felicity, thank you."

The stone glinted and he smiled weakly. It was the same green as Lily's eyes.


	8. Christmas Night

Felicity lay in bed feeling very full. She had spent the morning with Ess, who had made her breakfast and they had talked at length about the new potions stock that he had ordered in and how he was certain that the quality had gone down. Then she had proceeded him to the Great Hall, where barely any students were sitting about, enjoying the feast.

She had settled on her own at the Ravenclaw table, near but not directly next to or opposite the other Ravenclaw students. She glanced over at the Gryfindor table and saw the dark haired boy she had come to know was Harry Potter. Vaguely she wondered why everyone seemed to be gossiping about him, he didn't seem all that special to her. He was also sitting with the red haired boy that Fred and George had identified as their brother, Ron. Opposite them was the brown haired girl from the library.

Felicity had eaten her fill, then had left for bed, glancing up at Ess, who had nodded to her in response to her small smile. Now she was laying in her empty dormitory, staring up at the hangings of her four poster bed. She was comfortable and warm, sleep was trying to claim her tired body, but her mind wouldn't shut down and she couldn't explain it. She sat up and re-plaited her hair which was already coming loose, then swung her legs over the side of the bed. She shivered as her feet hit the cold flagstones, but her mind was set. Ignoring reason, she pulled her blue jumper from Molly over her head and slipped on a pair of beaten up old boots. She crossed the room and climbed down the stairs. She crossed the common room without a moments hesitation and before she could second guess her decision she was out in the corridor.

The shadows around her swirled excitedly as she began to make her way down the corridor as quietly as she could.

She wasn't certain where she was going, but her feet seemed to know and so she went onward. She wondered what would happen if Ess found out she was wandering the halls at night and shame curled in her stomach. Now that she was actually in the corridors she wondered why she had left the safety of her dormitory when she knew that the attacks had been happening.

But she didn't feel scared here, she felt comfortable in the dark. It was as though the shadows cradled her, kept her safe. For a while she walked on, through the twisting corridors, thankful that she didn't meet any patrols.

As she turned the corner on the third floor she became aware of a strange feeling.

The hair on the back of her neck rose and she felt that she was not alone any more. The shadows had changed. There was something else here with her, not just the shadows. Something wrong. Something... Malicious.

She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes wide open, her breath crystallizing in the cold winter air. Fear blossomed in her stomach and made it's way up her throat, burning in her, making her want to be sick.

She felt cool breath on the back of her neck.

"Is there... Is there someone there?" she whispered.

There was a deep, rumbling growl from down the corridor before her, a demonic noise that resonated though her bones and made the most primal part of her brain want to take flight. But the knowledge that there was something even worse standing right behind her kept her rooted to the spot.

_...Be Gone... Dark One... Leave This Girl..._

The voice was barely the merest suggestion of sound in her mind and she was certain her ears had not heard the sound.

Behind her the thing shifted, the air moving slightly. She felt something on her neck, something cold, slimy. Like fingers, sliding their way around her neck.

_LEAVE HER_

The fingers retracted and she knew that whatever it was, it was gone now. Shivering, she fell to her knees, trying to see up the corridor at what had saved her.

"Who are you?"

_...You Will Find Out... Soon Enough... Young One..._

"Thank you for saving me," she murmured.

._..It Is ...My Duty... To You..._Then she knew with certainty, she was alone once again with the shadows.

Far away from Hogwarts Castle, deep in the Albanian forests lurked a creature that was barely a ghost, barely a shadow of the man it had once been.

It was waiting.

As the chilled night drew on, it became impatient. It did not know that it was cold, it was no longer capable of feeling things even as simple as the temperature. It was unaware of the date, that it was Christmas Day and even if it had known, it would have meant nothing to it.

Eventually, what it had been waiting for emerged from between the trees. A Shade, barely visible in the shadows, slunk towards its master, its skeletal body shifting strangely as it moved.

"Did you discover the source of the disturbance?" asked the creature.

The Shade nodded.

"It is a girl, Master," it rasped, "a girl at Hogwarts with powerful protectors."

"Do you mean _Dumbledore_?" spat the creature.

"No, Master, something more powerful. It was waiting for me, Master, as soon as I touched the girl, it stopped me. It commanded me, Master, with the tone of the Darkness..."

"You touched her?"

"Yes, Master," responded the Shade.

"Then she will not be long of this world in any case," sneered the creature, "no living creature can survive the touch of a Shade." 

Professor Dumbledore sat at his desk, carefully composing a letter to the Goblin Leason office. Fawkes cooed softly in the background, but Dumbledore ignored him, carefully signing his name at the bottom of the letter, then sealing it with a flick of his hand. He stood and went to the window, where a waiting tawny owl stood on the sill. As he approached, it stuck out its leg for him and once the letter was attached, it flew up into the night sky. Dumbledore watched it out of sight, then pulled a pocket watch from one of his numerous pockets and glanced at the time.

"Goodness, Fawkes," he said, returning to his desk, "it is gone midnight! I had hardly noticed it getting dark."

He put away his quill in the top draw, among many other handsome quills and screwed the top back onto his ink well. He carefully rearranged the parchment and moved some pieces into a tray marked 'Out', where they promptly disappeared off to wherever they were meant to be.

Fawkes made a small cry and Dumbeldore looked up, confused. Who would be visiting him at this hour? Surely it couldn't be another attack so soon!

The door to his office burst open and Severus entered, carrying the limp form of a young girl.

"Severus, what is-?"

"Something has happened to her," Severus rasped, tears tumbling down his face.

Dumbledore had only seen him like this once before. The night Lily had been murdered. The night he had brought a tiny baby to this office, not knowing what to do, mourning Lily and not wanting the baby she had been carrying.

"Why haven't you taken her to Poppy?" Dumbledore asked, clearing his desk with a wave of his hand, the items stacking neatly on the floor.

Severus lay the girl on the desk, moving the hair away from her face.

"This is something Poppy wouldn't be able to deal with. This is dark. Look for yourself."

Severus lifted the hair away from Felicity's neck and there, on her skin, like some kind of strange black mold, were four, long marks.

"Finger marks?" Dubledore murmured,

"I think she's been Shade Touched," whispered Severus.

Dumbledore looked up at him.

"Impossible. Not inside these walls. Not in Hogwarts."

"Listen to me, Dumbledore," Severus growled, "I've seen this before. I have seen what the Dark Lords Shades have done to people, I was there, if you don't remember. I saw more than any man should have had to. I watched as he turned innocents into Shades!"

"Severus, I-"

"It is possible! And if she has been Shade Touched then she has hours left to her! What if the other students are no longer safe? What then, Dumbledore? Even if this Chamber of Secrets nonsense is real, the students are in more danger from a Shade! And you know it!"

Dumbledore became stern.

"If she has indeed been Shade Touched, Severus, then you know full well that the only thing you can do for her is to make her as comfortable as possible and when the agony starts, you must end it swiftly for her."

"What?" he whispered, staring into the calm blue eyes.

"You know how Shade Touch works, Severus. In the final hour, the agony begins and then in the last few moments, the person fades and becomes a Shade, bound to do as their new Master commands. Unless they do not have much magic or are a muggle and you know what happens then, don't you?"

"Inferi."

"Not many make it to be a Shade, but from what I have heard about the girl... And of course, there is only way to stop her becoming an Inferi or a Shade."

"Ending her life before those last few moments," said Severus flatly.

"Precisely."

Severus looked down at the girl he had so lovingly raised, wondering how it could be that here, in this office, was where their story truly began together, when Dumbledore had told him in no uncertain terms that he had to raise the girl as it was his fault she lived and that kind of magic was powerful. And now their story together would end here also, with Dumbledore instructing him to kill the girl he had been told to raise.

Dumbledore put his hand on Severus's shoulder.

"Take her to the Hospital Wing, I will inform the staff that there is a Shade in the castle. We will have to get the students gathered in the hall and launch a castle wide search. I will alert the Ministry. There are procedures for this kind of thing. Do you know how long she has been Touched for?"

Severus shook his head.

"The Fat Friar informed me that he had seen a student out of bed. I just happened to be on patrol tonight. I just knew something was wrong... I just didn't expect this..."

"Get her comfortable Severus, there is an urgancy about this. She could turn at any time. Please, it could be too late by the time Ministry Officials get here to help with her. It has to be you."

Severus shrugged Dumbledore's hand of his shoulder and bent down to pick up Felicity, his eyes cold and dead, tears still running down his face.

"Just make sure the other students are safe," he murmured, "especially Potter." 

So, what do you think? Please let me know! I love reading comments! Oh I do love writing a good cliff hanger, please don't hate me for it!


	9. Darkness

Severus cradled the girl he had cared for for the last eleven years in his arms, trying not to jolt her as he made his way down to the Hospital wing. He had hoped that something like this wouldn't happen. All those precautions, all those weeks of locking up and sending away dark objects, of de-Darkening the house so that the baby Felicity would be safe, seemed pointless now. He should have known that her being at Hogwarts would be more dangerous than at home.

Of course, he had always worried that the Dark Lord would return and would figure out who Felicity was, that perhaps he would consider her to be a threat as well as the Potter boy. Many thought the Dark Lord was defeated, but Severus was certain of the opposite. Especially after the events the previous year, when the Dark Lord made his way into the castle.

"Of Felicity," he whispered.

The limp girl seemed to be so peaceful, if it wasn't for her skin taking on a bluish tinge and the dark marks on her neck, you would almost think she was sleeping.

He would wait until the pain began, he decided, then he would end it. But only when the pain began. Hopefully that would be after the Ministry officials arrived, because no matter what Dumbledore said, he couldn't end the life that he had started.

Darkness cradled Felicity; surrounded her in it's soft embrace. She tried to move, but it seemed impossible, her limbs were so heavy. She was vaguely aware of that strange scent of mustiness and old potions. Severus was near her. She relaxed considerably, knowing that she was safe.

Her neck stung, where that thing had touched her, but it was a barely noticeable pain. She was more concerned about why it was so dark and why she couldn't move.

Then she heard it, the whispering. It washed over her, like an ocean, the waves coming in and then receding. She tried to listen to it properly, but none of the voices could be heard above the others.

After a time, she heard a clearer voice, that strange voice that seemed to arrive in her head, calling to her.

...Felicity... Listen To Me...

She tried to speak, but her mouth wouldn't form words.

...Listen To Me... Felicity... You Are Dying...

Felicity tried to struggle against the darkness, which she now felt was constricting her.

...Do Not Fear Death... It Is What We Are...

There seemed to be a pin prick of light now, coming towards her, growing larger and larger, very swiftly.

...Follow My Voice...

The light surrounded her, blinded her.

...Do Not Be Afraid...

Felicity opened her eyes and gasped, sitting upright quickly. She was surrounded by whiteness. Confused, she got to her feet unsteadily, trying to figure out where she was. From the whiteness, a suggestion of shapes began to form. Tall, circular shapes that stretched upwards. Was she in a white forest?

"Hello?" she called out.

There was a small noise, a clip-clopping of hooves. Felicity felt bewildered, but knew in some strange way that she was safe.

"Who is there?" she asked.

From between what she assumed were trees, stepped a magnificent creature. It was in shape a horse, with a pearly white coat and great feathered wings folded at its sides. It regarded her with large, blue eyes.

...Felicity... We Meet At Last...

"Who are you?" she asked, gazing in wonder at the Pegasus.

...I Am Your Guardian...

Felicity looked about them again, then back at the Pegasus.

"You said I was dying."

...Yes...

"Is this Heaven?"

...No... This Is The Half Way Point... This Is The Waiting Room...

"What does that mean?"

...You Have A Choice To Make...

"What are the options?" Felicity asked.

...You Can Die Now... Before Your Time... Or You Can Return... Continuing On The Path That Is Laid For You...

"But you said I am dying," she said, confused.

...Technically... Yes... But You Cannot Kill The Dead...

"I don't understand."

...You Were Dead The Minute You Entered The World... Like My Kind... Like Many Others Born Of Death... Of Dark Magic...

"I-I can't be dead..."

...It Is Important To Know Your Past...To Know Who You Are... To Know Who You Will Become... And You Will Be... Magnificent...

Felicity said nothing for a time, looking down at her hands. She thought of Ess, all alone, without her. It made her shiver.

"Can I go back?" she asked quietly.

...You May...

"Can you tell me who I am first? Why do you say we are dead?"

...You Must Find Me Back In The Living World... Then We Shall Speak Of What We Are... What We Become... But You Must Promise Me... You Will Not Be Scared...

"I promise," she whispered.

...Then Awaken...

Severus was tired. He was sat beside the glass coffin in the deepest dungeon, where he spent most of his time to himself. The essays he was marking were distressingly repetitive and his eyes were beginning to itch with sleep.

"Oh Felicity," he sighed, glancing at the glass coffin.

It had been two years now. Two years of waiting for the pain to begin. He had, at first, taken her to the hospital wing, expecting it to be a short time before he had to do the deed. But nothing had happened by the time the Ministry officials had arrived. They said they would take her away and end the process when pessary, but Dumbledore had insisted otherwise. Sometimes Severus wished they had taken her. But Dumbledore was right, if they had taken her, she would have been studied like some kind of lab rat.

Instead, they went and joined the castle wide hunt for the Shade, but of course they found nothing. Severus stayed by her side all that night, and the days that followed. But she had just laid there, breathing shallowly, peacefully. After the events with Potter and the Chamber, Dumbledore had insisted that they move her. He had already told the Ministry that Felicity's life had been ended, that she would no longer be a threat, so that they would not take her away and do tests and experiments in the Department of Mysteries.

They had moved her to the deepest dungeons and put wards around her hiding place, so that no one would stumble across her. They locked her into a glass casket, with all the wards that could be cast upon it and alarms to ensure that Severus would know if the pain began, so he could help her.

But after the weeks turned to months and the months to a year, Severus began to doubt that Felicity was going to change. He even began to hope that she would recover. But as that year dragged on into the next, he began to fear she would never wake up. Dumbledore had been less than helpful about the whole thing, but Severus supposed he was being as kind as he could without jeopardizing the other students.

Severus had retreated further inside himself over the time, his barely mended heart had been broken again. And now he felt empty. Tired and empty.

A strange noise made him look up from the essay. The normally shallow breathing of Felicity had begun to get heavier. Severus's heart pounded hard in his chest as he reached for his wand. This had to be it. Then he heard soft murmuring.

"...tel me... who I am... first?... Why... you say... we... are dead?"

"Felicity?" Severus whispered.

"I promise..." she sighed.

He pressed his hands against the glass and looked in at her through the warped surface, down at her face. Her eyelids flickered. Severus could swear his heart skipped a beat with fear and excitement.

Her eyes opened and looked up at him with their intelligent, dark green stare.

"Ess?" she called uncertainly.

"Felicity!" he cried, his heart swelling with joy.

"What... What's going on?" she asked, looking bewildered.

"Hang on, Felicity, I will let you out."

He fumbled with his wand, lifting all the charms and with shaking hands lifted the lid. Felicity sat up, shivering with the cold in the thin white cotton dress she had been changed into long ago, looking about them in the dungeon.

"Wh-wh-where are we?" she asked, teeth chattering.

"Let me help you out, " he said, ignoring her question for now.

He lifted her easily and she clung to him, holding close. Surreptitiously he looked at her neck, where the dark marks had previously been, but were now nothing more than pale pink scars. He sighed with relief. He didn't know how, but she had pulled through.

He carried her from the dungeon, putting each foot carefully before the other so as not to jolt her, taking her to his rooms. She was slightly heavier than he remembered; she must have grown while she was sleeping. The door to his rooms sprang open at his approach and he strode inside, carefully laying Felicity upon the sofa. With a flick of his wand, a fire sprang up in the grate and with another flick her clothes were changed into a thick jumper and a pair of thick pajama trousers.

"Thank you," she mumbled.

He sat at her feet, staring at her face, drinking it in, barely believing this was happening.

"Ess," she whispered, "what happened?"

"You... I..."

"I was dead, wasn't I," she said softly.

"You were going to be worse than dead. You had been Shade Touched, Felicity. You know what that means?"

Felicity nodded a little.

"I read something about it... but it didn't say much..."

Felicity looked down at her hands, then around herself.

"I feel different," she said, stretching her arms out, "taller."

"You must have grown," he said quietly.

"I can't have been asleep for that long, only minutes, surely. I wasn't in the forest for that long, was I?"

Severus let the forest comment go for the moment.

"You were asleep for two years, Felicity."


	10. Awake

Severus told Felicity carefully of the passing of the two years she had been asleep. He told her tentatively of the Dementors and Sirius Black. He touched upon the details of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, uncertain what to tell her. As it came to the maze, his words faltered and he grew silent.

"That was months ago now," he said after a time, "we've entered a new school year."

"Ess," said Felicity sharply, "what are you keeping from me?"

Severus smiled bitterly. She knew him better than he would like to admit.

"Felicity, I have always warned you, haven't I, that Dark magic never truly dies?"

Felicity nodded thoughtfully, thinking about the words the Pegasus had said.

"The Dark Lord..." words again failed Severus and he looked down at his hands.

Felicity gasped in realization.

"He lives?" she whispered.

Severus looked up at her with a strange torment in his eyes.

"He has returned. He is regaining his strength. But he is staying hidden."

With a sigh, Severus began to explain that he was being forced to return to his old masters side on Dumbledore's orders. He told her of the Order of the Phoenix. Once the information he felt safe to relay to her was given, they fell silent, lost in their own thoughts.

"Felicity," he said quietly, "what happened the night you were attacked?"

Felicity froze in place. She was worried he would be angry with her, but all she felt was sadness and disappointment, which was far worse.

"I was restless... Then I felt that I should get out of bed and walk. I walked a while, then I felt something there, something Dark... And then... There was something behind me and something ahead of me. Then the thing behind me touched my neck," she shivered at the memory, "then the thing ahead told it to leave me and it did."

They sat in silence.

After a while, Severus put Felicity to bed, as she was tired. For the first time, in a very long while, he slept soundly that night.

Severus jolted awake. He had over slept- what if the alarms had gone off when he had been sleeping? And Felicity had started to-? But then, with a sigh of relief he remembered that Felicity had awoken, he no longer had to listen for those damned alarms. With a slight pang of guilt, he remembered that he was supposed to alert Dumbledore of any changes and he had forgotten to in his joy the night before.

He rose and showered, washing his hair which had become greasy with neglect, then dressed and made his way to the living area humming to himself. He was greeted by the sight of Felicity in the small living room curled up with a book on the sofa in one of his dressing gowns. She looked up as he entered and smiled at him, making his heart flutter with joy. She was home.

He sat beside her, looking at the title of the book on its battered spine.

"Pillgarts Transmogrifications and Potionatical Miscellany and its Political Remuneration? Isn't that a little heavy for morning reading?" He asked with a smile.

She looked over the top of the book at him in a way that so reminded him of her mother.

"There is no better time, it gives me something to think about for the rest of the day," she said with a smile.

"Indeed," he responded, "but there is a lot to think about today as it is. We must go to see the Head Master, inform him of your awakening."

Felicity nodded. "Are there any clothes I can wear?"

Severus nodded and showed her to where some of her things had been stashed away over the years. He directed her to the shower and settled himself before the fire place, taking up the book she had been reading, flicking through the pages idly until she re-emerged, dressed and ready to go.

"Ess, where's my wand?" she asked.

Severus jumped to his feet and moved to the cabinet on the far wall, where a number of strange objects were arranged. With a wave of his own wand the door clicked open and he reached inside, taking out her wand, then resealing it. He handed it to her and she smiled widely.

"Thank you for keeping it safe, Ess," she said quietly.

Then, together, they went to the Head Masters office.

Dumbledore barely showed a flicker of surprise, but Felicity saw it. He listened patiently to their accounts, asking very calmly to see the shiny red marks where the Shade had touched Felicity. He looked them over inquisitively, then sat back in his chair, looking over his half-moon spectacles at them.

"Now, Miss Evans," he said softly, "what is it you wish to do?"

"What do you mean, Professor?" she responded, meeting the penetrating gaze with one of her own.

"Well, after the incident, we had to inform the Ministry that you had passed on to the next world as it was the only way to have you remain here. Of course, this meant that you were removed from current lists of students and the Trace on you was lifted. You could, if you so wished, return to Education, but this will not be an easy undertaking. I do not tell you this lightly, but because of what I know of your character, I feel inclined to inform you that the Ministry has inserted an official into Hogwarts this year. She is the Ministers right hand and would not hesitate to inform him of misdemeanors.

"If you decided to discontinue your education, we have a safe house that you are welcome to stay in, as you are in danger from Lord Voldemort."

"Albus," said Severus in a warning tone.

Dumbledore glanced at Severus, but looked back upon Felicity.

"Neither of these options are easy, but they are yours and you are free to make your choice."

Felicity looked at Severus, but he was staring intently at Dumbledore. She sat in silence for a few moments, looking about the walls at the portraits who were sleeping in their frames. Then she nodded slowly.

"I want to continue with my education, Professor, if that is acceptable?"

Dumbledore nodded and stared up at the ceiling.

"Things will have to be re-organized and certain staff members informed... If all goes well, you may start again next Monday."

As Severus and Felicity walked back down towards the Dungeons together, safe in the fact that it was early and so few students would be awake, they chatted quietly together of what Felicity would be studying next and how Severus was certain she would glide through it easily. Just as they were discussing Arithmancy and it's merits, they were interrupted by a little cough behind them.

"Hem Hem."

Severus's jaw tightened and Felicity felt confused. They turned and were confronted by a small toad like witch dressed in very frilly, very pink clothes. Felicity was taken aback by the startling and unsettling mix of sweet and ugly. She got a great sense of something deeply wrong with this witch.

"Good morning Severus," she said in a girly voice that jarred against her age.

"Dolores," he responded curtly.

The woman turned her little eyes on Felicity and she repressed a shudder.

"And who's this?"

Politeness took over and Felicity smiled at the woman.

"My name is Felicity Evans, Professor," she responded.

The woman smiled widely and Felicity had to fix her smile in place. She had assumed that calling the woman 'Professor' was the right thing to do as if she was not, it would be a compliment and if she was, all the better.

"I don't believe I've seen you before, Miss Evans," she said sweetly.

"There are a lot of students in the castle, Dolores," said Severus sharply, "now we must be going. Miss Evans and I have an essay to discuss."

The woman watched their backs as they walked away. Severus thought he knew what she was thinking, but he would be damned if he cared what that awful woman thought. When they were in the safety of the Dungeons Felicity spoke.

"Who was that horrible woman?" she asked quietly.

"Professor Umbridge. The Ministry's spy."

"Ah. That would explain it."


End file.
